Category Archives: Modern Americana

A special three hour show has Dave filling in for KC and I Hear You Rockin’ on KOWS Community Radio, live from the KOWS studios in the Cherry Street Historic District of Santa Rosa. Dave will walk through some of performances of songwriters who were influential in the rise of Americana sounds including blues, rock, rhythm & blues, pop, folk, and country in the late half of the 20th century. Who you might ask? In addition to the pairings of Carole King and Gerry Goffin as well as Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew, we’ll also be sharing songs written by Bob Dylan, Robert Johnson, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, and Tom Waits.

This week’s Deeper Roots pays tribute to a collection of country songwriters who made an impact on the American musical art form, defining the tone and story that was told. We’ll walk through nearly a hundred years of performances by the familiars: Emmylou Harris, Jim Reeves, Johnny Cash, and Ray Charles, all taking on the songs of A.P. Carter, Jimmie Rodgers, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, and Cindy Walker. We’ll also hear from Dolly, Willie, and Elvis on a cold and wet January Friday in West Sonoma County. Join Dave Stroud as he enters his seventh year hosting our two hour show live from the Sebastopol studios of KOWS Community Radio.

The devil is, indeed, an angel…albeit a fallen one. And the music we’ll be sharing this morning with our West County audience will take note of that fact with sounds that feature modern Americana as well as early to mid-century country sounds. Tune in to KOWS radio every Friday morning at 9 Pacific for the very best in roots sounds…and this week is no different: modern Americana from Rob Ickes and The Devil Makes Three, mid-century country from Cowboy Copas and Lefty Frizzell, as well as some wild-eyed worship pieces from The Sunshine Boys, Benny Joy, and Margie Singleton (who performs the infamous “Jesus is My Pusher”). Just for you. Just in time for a springtime April morning.

Just a closer walk…Deeper Roots walks the gospel road once more, this time forgoing the ancestral roots for modern takes in black gospel, country gospel, and bluegrass from the Heartland. Our focus will be on some of the contemporary performers who cover with due recognition some of the great gospel standards. We’ll hear from Hugh Laurie, Willie Watson, Rodney Crowell, Bruce Cockburn, and Luther Dickinson…and that’s just a taste. We’ll hear the stories of Samson and Delilah alongside John the Revelator….right here on Deeper Roots…coming your way from the KWTF downtown studios.

We’re going to share some political sounds from the past and present on Deeper Roots in a show that expresses the sentiments of resistance and free speech. Tune in for some new music from The Drive-By Truckers and Bruce Springsteen as well as some powerful voices from the past: Gil Scott-Heron, Phil Ochs, the SNCC Freedom Singers, Public Enemy, Merle Haggard, and…well…the list just doesn’t seem to lack for talent and passion.

There was (is?) a time when the background noise (and it was loud) revolved around the likelihood that humankind would annihilate itself any day. The Cold War brought out the worst of us. Fear of your neighbor…fear of ideology or alternative ideas were the centerpiece of the day. The fear was embodied in the likelihood of the ‘big one’ dropping; yet our schools, media, and government soft-peddled the reality. The entertainment industry had it’s own take, of course; because artistic license allowed exploration from every corner, even though it would often make light of what was then assumed to be an eventuality. We’ll hear country from Charlie Louvin and Elton Britt, left-wing folkies like Pete Seeger and Mark Spoelstra, and gospel from the Golden Gate Quartet and The Spirit of Memphis Quartet. It’s a combination of novelty, contemporary takes on old standards, and vintage sounds (both musical and otherwise) in our Deeper Roots episode that explores the American way called ‘duck and cover’.

In a special two hours, we’re going to celebrate John Prine’s music, observing his 70th birthday which just so happens have coincided with a new release of country duets this past October. We’ll hear some Steve Goodman, Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, and The Boxmasters to name a few, performing Prine alongside some of the very best of Prine (prime Prine as it were). Happy birthday to one of the great songwriters of a generation. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: a true American treasure.

No.

1

Artist

Title

Album

Buy

2

John Prine

Please Don't Bury Me

Sweet Revenge

3

Steve Goodman

Donald And Lydia

Steve Goodman

4

John Prine

Paradise

The Singing Mailman Delivers [Disc 1 – Studio Aug 1970]

5

John Prine

Hello in There

Great Days: The John Prine Anthology Disc 1

6

John Prine

Souvenirs

Tribute to Steve Goodman

7

John Prine

Sam Stone

Storytellers: Singers & Songwriters

8

John Prine

Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore (Live in November 1970)

In this, our second KOWS Americana Special, we put together a show so that we could fill in for Mark Hogan’s Bluegrass and Old Time Hour…and we’re featuring new music from C. W. Stoneking, Margo Price, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan. We’ll also pull out some dusty vintage nuggets from The Traveling Wilburys, Willie Nelson, and Frankie Laine. And there’s more…